The Southeast Produce Council’s Good Seeds MENtor Program attracted a full crowd of about 200 people Friday morning, Sept. 13, during the council’s recent Southern Innovations event in Nashville, TN.

Ben Watson, a former National Football League tight end, as well as an author, speaker and advocate, spoke about “A Life of Faith, Family & Football.”

The current fruit set on California avocado trees across multiple growing regions is considerably higher this year than in previous years, leading many growers to project that the 2025 crop harvest may yield an increase in crop size compared to recent seasons. Bountiful rains in the 2023 and 2024 seasons were partially responsible for a smaller-than-normal crop in 2023 and delayed harvest in 2024, but these rains also contributed positively to soil and tree health.

Matthews Ridgeview Farms, which grows, packs and ships sweet potatoes year-round, is excited about the upcoming fall season and looking forward to harvesting the new crop, gearing up for the holidays, adding acreage and finding more opportunities to grow.

I Love Produce, a distributor of garlic, ginger and shallots, based in Kelton, PA, announced that Samantha Snyder has accepted the director of sales position, effective Sept. 24.  

Snyder will work in collaboration with Eric Frasse, president of I Love Produce, to help manage the sales team, launch new products and continue to build the company’s strong brand and position in the industry.  

Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid announced his plans to retire next year; Roger Wheeler, chief commercial officer, will assume Reid's role effective Sept. 30 of this year. Reid has worked for Stop & Shop since 2019, and before that he spent six years at the helm of Giant Food. He will remain with Ahold Delhaize USA until mid-2025, providing leadership support for strategic initiatives.